Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, immune system function, and the prevention of chronic diseases. It also boosts mood and helps regulate sleep. However, most people are deficient in this vitamin because there are very few sources of it besides sunlight.
There are several forms of vitamin D in the diet and supplements:
What are the Benefits of Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is important for your body. It helps to absorb calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for the growth and repair of your bones. Vitamin D also helps in the production of hormones and boosts immunity. You can get too much vitamin D, though this is rarely seen in people who get adequate amounts from the sun.
How Much Vitamin D Should You Take?
You can tell if your levels of Vitamin D are low by a few symptoms. These include fatigue, increased risk for cancer, and a weakened i
Children from the age of 1 year and adults need 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day. This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Babies up to the age of 1 year need 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.
A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram (mg). The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol μ followed by the letter g (μg).
Sometimes the amount of vitamin D is expressed as International Units (IU). 1 microgram of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. So 10 micrograms of vitamin D is equal to 400 IU.
Is It Possible to Get Too Much Vitamin D? What Happens When It’s Taken in High Amounts?
The most common symptom of too much Vit.D is a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and weight loss. This is not a side effect that you want to experience and luckily it’s easy to avoid! Vit.D only requires 200IU per day and you should take it at least two hours before any other medications or supplements as the two compete for absorption in your system.
Why is Having a High Level of Vit.D Such a Risk?
Vitamin D is crucial to our health, but at the same time it can become toxic if taken in high doses. With the recent discovery of risks of too much Vit D, taking supplements has become a dilemma. It is important to know what daily intake is right for you and if you need to be more cautious than others with your dosage.
The most common way that people get Vit D is through exposure to sunlight, but this natural source of Vit D has varying degrees of effectiveness depending on where you live. It can be hard to get enough Vit D in some regions because there are less hours during the day when UV light will result in its synthesis.
